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Letters 1-3-14

‘Happy Huli’ — a solution to our traffic woes

I have lived in Kailua-Kona for more than 20 years and I am concerned about how the county is dealing with the ever-increasing amount of traffic. It seems its primary approach is to add more and more stoplights, which can ensure secondary access, but inevitably increases congestion.

I would suggest an alternative to stoplights which I call the “Happy Huli.”

On divided highways with sufficient median width, such as Highway 11 from Palani Road to Honokohau Harbor (and eventually to the airport), the light could be replaced with a turn-around road in the median. All traffic would enter the highway through the existing right turn merge lanes. Traffic wishing to turn left would then transition to the highway left lane and enter a left turn exit lane. The exit lane would connect to a 180-degree turn lane across the median where it would connect to a merge lane back onto the highway from the left side. The whole process would take less time than the average stoplight cycle, and there could be zero stoplights from town to the harbor and ultimately, the airport.

Richard Farnham

Kailua-Kona

Speeders break law, risk others’ lives

Everyone wants to blame someone else for their bad behavior.

The Daniel K. Inouye Highway, or Route 200, is well marked with speed limits signs. If you speed, you are breaking the law and potentially risking your life and others.

I am not sure what kind of education will change people’s speeding habits. Were people ignoring that part of the driver’s license exam? We all can become distracted or complacent when driving but that is when bad things can happen.

I am thankful for the police presence even if a ticket becomes my reminder to drive safely.